City Files to Shut Down Maverick Towing Outfit
The city is finally saying in court what car owners have said in private for years: James W. Gee is ripping us off.
In a lawsuit filed Friday, D.C. Attorney General Linda Singer asks the judge for an injunction to shut down Youngin's Towing and Auto Body once and for all. Readers may remember that the city already tried to revoke Gee's business license. He was able to fight that maneuver, and he has stayed in business, to the ruin of Charmain Walker's ’93 Crown Vic.
Nearly a month after the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs first tried to shut Gee down, his company towed Walker's car from an illegal space. When she came to pick it up, Gee told her that he scrapped it for parts. According to the city, he offered to give her another car from his lot. Walker has sued in small-claims court. A hearing on her case is set for tomorrow, and a judge will hear arguments Thursday on whether to grant a temporary restraining order and close Youngin's immediately.
Gee says he hasn't read the city's filings. "I didn't know about it. I ain't know nothing about it," he says. "Suing me? How's that suing me? 'Suing me' means they want money, right?"
After a moment, he says: "It's nothing I can do about it. The fact that they suing me, ain't nothing I can do about it."
7:39 pm
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7:42 pm
scrapped it for parts? seriously?!?
9:10 pm
e.l: Amazing. But I skipped right past that to the offer of another car off his lot. I mean, he's offering her a car off his lot because her car, which was also on his lot, was given to other people. It's like a nightmare version of "carry it forward".
12:27 pm
Sounds like D.C. is doing a good job of finally going after companies. Now Northern Virginia needs to take action against similar activities in NOVA. For instance, Alexandria law limits the towing fee from private property to $75, but A1 towing consistently charges people at least $150 to get their car back. They have been sued numerous times, including a recent jugement where they were told they had to repay the towing fees, and had punitive damages awarded against them. Of course, once you sue a savvy debtor like towing companies, good luck trying to find their assets!! That is why the State needs to take action, the average citizen cannot.
3:13 pm
How about the $260.00 I just shelled out to Universal Towing In Baltimore, MD today (14 NOV, 2007) to get my car back. I parked in the only parking space area on private property without ANY signage about towing, no parking, etc., and I STILL got towed! And to think I thought the $100.00 I paid to A-1 Towing 3 years ago was outrageous!
2:12 pm
Good thing someone out there is noticing problems with towing companies and making a stand. Was it shut down completely? How long did the process take? Sometimes towing companies are dishonest, which is sad, but I've usually had pretty good experiences with them.